EIGHT BELLS- THOMAS J. HARRINGTON

J/Boats and the New York Yacht Club are saddened with the passing of Commodore Thomas J. Harrington on April 27th. From 2013 through 2014, Commodore Harrington served as NYYC's 63rd Commodore. He was 81 years old.

“Commodore Harrington brought great energy and passion to the concept of bringing the Club to members outside of our physical clubhouses," says current Commodore Christopher J. Culver. "His vision has become fully realized during this pandemic.”

Harrington joined the Club in 1991. His passion for sailing had started years earlier, while an officer with the U.S. Marine Corps, and developed as he pursued an MBA at Columbia Business School in New York City. He moved to London after graduating, working for Chemical Bank, and purchased half-ownership in a Soling, which he raced on the Solent. Upon his return to North America, he dove into larger yachts, racing in the Caribbean and then in New England and the Mid Atlantic aboard his J/30 and J/35, both named Obstreperous.

He fostered a loyal crew and enjoyed success in both classes. In September of 1995, sailing with largely the same team, Harrington won the J/30 North American Championship and the J/35 National Championship on consecutive weekends. Commodore Harrington also knew the importance of giving back to the sport, and he served in leadership positions for one-design classes and chaired a North American championship.

After moving on from one-design racing, Commodore Harrington twice raced her to Bermuda. He was also part of a consortium of Club members who formed the Black Watch Alliance and purchased the 68-foot 1938 Olin Stephens-designed Black Watch (formerly Edlu II). The boat served on submarine patrols off Eastern Long Island during the Second World War.

Commodore Harrington enjoyed a long career at Chemical Bank, including as president of its International Leasing subsidiary. After leaving Chemical Bank, he founded Spectrum Capital, Ltd., serving as president and CEO. He is survived by his wife Alane and their sons Jamison and Tucker.

J/99 JAZZ Flies Offshore- Bermuda to Stonington

* Experience and understand what it's like to sail offshore.  The J/99 JAZZ was sailed by Rodney Johnstone and Clay Burkhalter from Stonington, CT to Bermuda (635.0nm as the 'crow flies') to help "rescue" a friends 65 ft sailboat. After 48 hours, they sailed the return voyage back to Stonington in slightly breezier, rougher conditions.  Clay narrates the 10-minute video accompanied by the classic Grateful Dead "Franklin's Tower" song (Las Vegas 1992) playing as the background soundtrack.  Enjoy!


Click photo or link here to watch video:
https://youtu.be/ZzOdJmZKqLo

The J/99 JAZZ Rescue Mission Epilogue

If you all recall from last week, we reported on the "rescue mission" that was undertaken by J/Boats co-founder Rodney Johnstone and his nephew Clay Burkhalter to sail to Bermuda from Stonington, CT with two friends of theirs. The goal was to deliver the owner of a beautiful 65-footer that lay on a mooring at St George's Bay in eastern Bermuda. Their mission was successful, and it was a fast "delivery" on the slippery J/99 offshore speedster!

Upon reaching Bermuda, the team enjoyed an evening of R&R. But less than 48 hours after arriving, the intrepid duo of Rodney and Clay set back out to sea to sail the J/99 JAZZ back to Stonington, CT! The return trip was not the "walk-in-the-park" they had on their way down to Bermuda. In fact, quite the opposite.  

They were both presented with many challenges, including the often capricious, unrelenting and punishing Gulf Stream. A "micro-Low" materialized that was not forecast at all, not surprisingly, over the massive northward moving "river" of the Gulf Stream. Such spontaneous "micro-climates" are not unknown and numerous sailing or motor vessels over time have succumbed to dreadful weather associated with such "micro-bombs".  Here is Rodney's account of their delivery back from Bermuda to Stonington, CT:

"For starters, it was a great adventure and magical experience both ways. Clay and I had two days of light weather coming home, then two days of wild wind and waves through the Gulf Stream as we headed north, which accounts for our big course change to the west late Monday. 


To make time, we motor-sailed most of the first 300 miles in benign Northeast winds under 10 knots. We then sailed with double-reefed main and 3.5 heavy weather jib the rest of the way in NE winds. We hit 30 knot winds and monster seas on the North side of Gulf Stream (see photo sequence above of their track). Huge, breaking waves everywhere. So, we took down the jib and sailed all night on a broad reach with double-reefed main only to stay away from the breaking seas with no "backs" (e.g. a wall). 

The J/99 is very well behaved in that stuff. Easy to steer, so the autopilot had no problem staying the course on a dark, rough Monday night. For a while, it looked like we would make landfall at Atlantic City, NJ. As soon as we got onto the continental shelf, the turbulent waves subsided and got regular, and the winds let up to 20-25 knots. We then hoisted the jib and sailed upwind towards Stonington under clear sky and steady East wind.... all the way back from Bermuda to Stonington on starboard tack with jib and double-reefed main at about 6.5 knots!

What a trip back! It took us exactly five days to go the 635.0nm (as the crow flies, more like 725.0nm of actual sailing). Very exciting, and proof that the J/99 is fit for short-handed ocean sailing. Nothing broke or failed! I hope I get to do this sort of sailing trip again!"  Thanks to Rodney J. for this report and being the intrepid adventurer that he is!

Four "Crazy" Sailors Go on Rescue Mission

Four sailors launched an unusual rescue mission from the US to retrieve a sailboat stranded in Bermuda.

They did so in a 33 ft boat, Rodney Johnstone's brand-new J/99 JAZZ. It was a choice that made some people declare they were “crazy” to attempt such a trip.

However, this was no ordinary quartet of sailors, for among them was boat designer Rod Johnstone, an iconic figure in the sailing world. The other three also had extensive sailing credentials.

Their goal was to reunite Jean de Fontenay with his 67ft sailboat Baraka. It was moored in St George’s Harbour for the winter, but Mr de Fontenay had been in the US when travel restrictions were put in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and he had not been able to return to collect it before the start of the hurricane season on June 1st.


Rescue team on deck: Andy Williams, left, Rod Johnstone, Clay Burkhalter, and owner Jean de Fontenay help to get Baraka back to the USA after being stranded in Bermuda.

With no commercial flights to the island, he searched for another way to reach Bermuda and retrieve Baraka.

One of his friends, Clay Burkhalter, said: “I know Jean well. He called and asked if I knew anyone who could sail him to Bermuda. I asked around, but could not find anyone.

“Finally, it dawned on me, my uncle, who is a designer of J-Boats — a whole series of sailboats produced over 45 years — had a new design J-99 that he had just taken delivery of. We’d planned to do the Newport Bermuda Race in it, but the race was cancelled.”

He called his uncle Rodney and asked if he wanted to do the trip to Bermuda anyway, taking Mr de Fontenay and another friend to collect Baraka.

“I said we can’t go on land, we can tie up and rest and then turn around and leave. He said yes, let’s do it,” said Clay.

Before embarking on the trip, they checked with the authorities in the US and Bermuda to make sure they could do the trip without being required to go into quarantine. They took Covid-19 tests before leaving the US and were all negative.

It took them 4½ days to sail from Connecticut to Bermuda.

Arriving in St George’s Harbour, they tied up against Baraka and cleared Customs. They had to remain on the two boats at all times.

Food supplies were placed in Baraka’s dinghy, which was on land. It was towed out to the boats by Steve Hollis, of Ocean Sails, in St George’s.

He said: “Jean’s been a customer of ours for a long time.”

After a day and night of rest, the crew, whose ages range from 62 to 83, split with Mr de Fontenay and Alan Williams on Baraka for the return trip, and Mr Burkhalter and his uncle on the J-99.

Mr Burkhalter said: “This rescue mission for Jean’s 67-footer was pretty unusual.

“Most people at home thought we were crazy. What! You are doing that in a 33-footer? But, when we got going we had a tracking link so friends and family could see where we were. Once we got going everyone was enthusiastic.”


Mr Hollis said: “You’re rescuing your boat, you can’t fly there, so you have to sail there to get it— what a great adventure to do that.”

He added that many people bring their boats to Bermuda in the winter and stay for a few months, putting money into the local economy while here. He believes it is something that Bermuda could expand on.
Thanks for this contribution from Scott Neil, Assistant Business Editor/ Royal Gazette Bermuda

Seeking Sailors for Mixed Double-handed Offshore– Newport Bermuda Race

(Newport, RI)- The Young American Sailing Academy (YASA) is seeking interested sailors to join the YASA sailing team and participate in a mixed double-handed offshore program.

The first step of this program is sailing the 2020 Newport Bermuda Race as mixed double-handed entries. Do you have the passion and the skills to be part of a winning team, sailing mixed double-handed offshore for three to four demanding days? If this is your calling, please apply with YASA.

Newport Bermuda Race
YASA will have two mixed double-handed entries in the 2020 Newport Bermuda Race. At 640 nm the Newport Bermuda Race is the only race of distance and duration to be relevant to the upcoming World Championships and the 2024 Olympic event, which is planned to be a 3-4-day duration. The Newport Bermuda Race is an ideal training event for those seeking the near-term goal of qualifying for the World Sailing Championships to be sailed October 2020.

Using the boats immediately available, YASA is upgrading its two J/105s for double-handed offshore sailing. The boats are being equipped and configured with high quality instruments/auto pilots and offshore sail configurations. J/105s have successfully sailed transatlantic and transpacific races, and given their size and setup are considered appropriate equipment for mixed offshore training.

If the demand is sufficient from skilled and qualified sailors, YASA will work to provide additional boats for mixed duos.

Selection Process
Interested skippers are asked to submit their sailing resumes and their expression of interest. The YASA selection committee will select a short list from the submissions from which interviews will be conducted leading to the selection of the final skippers. Second tier and backup crews will be selected at the same time. Interested sailors may apply either as individuals or as a pre-formed team.

The Application Information
The selection committee anticipates starting to review applications February 25 with the intention of making selections by March 15. Contact Peter Becker below.

YASA has been a youth centric program from its inception and consistent with that bias we encourage interest from youthful participants (< 25), however all candidates regardless of age will be considered.

Some of the qualities and characteristics that are desirable in a skipper candidate are the following:

• “Skipper” frame of mind and team attitude
• Having a gas-pedal – i.e. the ability to do all things to make a boat go fast in all conditions
• Prior experience with offshore endurance sailing, preferably short-handed
• Tireless, flexible, curious and tenacious
• Focused and with a willingness to commit to an intense campaign
• Knowledge in weather and weather routing

YASA Framework & Support
Projects such as this are dependent on funding, YASA as a 501(c) (3) provides the tax advantaged framework for charitable donations and commercial support to help meet the funding requirements. YASA will enhance its social media campaign promoting the project, its sponsors and highlighting the sailors.

As previously mentioned, YASA is providing the boats and is working hard to deliver the associated equipment and upgrades. There is and will be plenty of work and preparation required which YASA will support in every way possible.

Team/ Skipper Commitments
Each skipper should be committed to providing the following:

• Commitment to working and training hard to become an elite short-handed sailor
• Achieving and maintaining a high level of physical conditioning
• Commitment to fundraising in support of the project budget (approx. $8,500/crew member)
• Providing personal safety equipment, offshore gear and associated supplies
• Having the time, energy, passion and excitement about mixed offshore sailing

Provisional Budget
The provisional budget for each of the two boats for the Newport Bermuda Race campaign is approximately $17,000. This budget includes the entry and operational expenses as well as the necessary safety equipment and ORR rating. It does not include capital upgrades, which include B&G H5000 Hercules instruments and pilot and offshore sail inventory.

Conclusion
This is the moment to find and create American’s talent in the short-handed offshore discipline. In four years, there is an Olympic medal up for the taking, let’s set a course toward that goal and enjoy the journey.

Contact- Peter Becker- phone- 917-715-1471 or email- Peter.Becker@yasailing.org or website- https://www.yasailing.org/ Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AIRFORCE Four-peats J/105 Bacardi Keelboat Regatta!

(Hamilton, Bermuda)- The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club once again hosted the Bacardi Keelboat Regatta from November 21st to 24th.  The J/105 fleet participation is at the invitation from the local J/105 fleet. The J/105s raced with a combined Bermuda and Overseas crew to compete for a Bermuda, Overseas and Overall series. Over the three-day series, up to ten races can be sailed by the tams.

In the end, the fleet of Bermudian and International sailors were rewarded with great sailing conditions, with all ten races being sailed.

While they may have "four-peated" the regatta win, their fourth win did not come easy for the AIRFORCE duo of Peter Bromby and Cheryl Harvey. Starting off red-hot, the AIRFORCE crew had all-podium finishes in the first 7 races.  However, a disastrous 8th race saw the team scrambling to avoid even more grievous errors in the subsequent races.

Starting off slow was the James Macdonald & Bill Lackenmacher duo on PASSION. Third after the first day, they climbed back into contention over the next two days to nearly snatch the regatta win.  In the end, AIRFORCE finished with 26 pts to take the gold, with the PASSION team closing with 29 pts for the silver.  Third was another slow starter, the MORNING GLORY duo of Glen Astwood & Hasso Plattner. Sitting in fifth place after day one, the MORNING GLORY team rose like a "phoenix from the ashes" to close with by far the hottest record of the entire fleet in the last five races- a 3-3-1-2-2 to snatch the bronze medal on the last day of racing!

Rounding out the top five was MAYHEM (Jon Corless & Jason Owen) in fourth place and WINDFIRE (Keith Chiappa & Paul Beaudin) in fifth position.

At the awards ceremony, the International Team Trophy, sponsored by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, went to Team MAYHEM's Jason Owen.  The Bermuda Teams Trophy, sponsored by Goslings Rum, went to Team AIRFORCE's Peter Bromby. And, the Bacardi Keelboat Overall Trophy, sponsored by XL, was awarded to the Overall winner, Team AIRFORCE yet again.  Follow the J/105 Bermuda fleet on their Facebook page  For more J/105 Bacardi Keelboat Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/105 Bacardi Keelboat Regatta Preview

(Hamilton, Bermuda)- The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club is once again hosting the Bacardi Keelboat Regatta from November 21st to 24th.  The J/105 fleet participation is at the invitation from the local J/105 fleet. The J/105s race with a combined Bermuda and Overseas crew to compete for a Bermuda, Overseas and Overall series. Over the three-day series, up to ten races can be sailed by the tams.

The participating local J/105 fleet boats include the following: AIRFORCE (Peter Bromby), BACK IN BLACK (Ed Faries), ELUSIVE (Bill Pollett), MAYHEM (Jon Corless), MORNING GLORY (Hasso Plattner), PASSION (James Macdonald), and WINDFIRE (Keith Chiappa).


After the "round-the-buoys" portion of the regatta, the last race is a fun "distance race" from the race area in the Great Sound, back through the islands to a finish line just off the Royal Bermuda YC docks!  Most often, the race sends the teams on a tour of the Great and Little Sound’s, before working down Granaway Deep back to RBYC.

At the awards ceremony, the International Team Trophy is sponsored by the Bermuda Tourism Authority.  The Bermuda Teams Trophy is sponsored by Goslings Rum. And, the Bacardi Keelboat Overall Trophy, sponsored by XL, is awarded to the Overall winner.   Follow the J/105 Bermuda fleet on their Facebook page  For more J/105 Bacardi Keelboat Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fast Marion to Bermuda Race

(Marion, MA)- The 22nd running of the Marion to Bermuda Race will certainly go down in the records books as one of the fastest races ever, with most boats finishing in around 58 hours elapsed time- making for about an 11.3 kts average for the 40 to 45 footers across the race track. A favorable Gulf Stream meander certainly helped boost the fleet’s COG/ SOG speeds and angles!

Hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, the fleet of boats took off on Friday June 14th at 12 noon in a solid breeze that never let up for a majority of the race.

This year’s Founder’s Division had thirty-nine entries. Taking fifth place in the Founders B Division was the J/46 MOJO sailed by Eric & Robert Grubman from Milford, CT.  Then, finishing seventh in the same division was the J/122 AUGUST WEST, skippered by Jamey Shachoy from Marion, MA.  For more Marion to Bermuda Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/120 Wins Bermuda One-Two Race- First Leg

(Newport, RI)- Hosted by Newport Yacht Club in Rhode Island and the St. George’s Dinghy & Boat Club in Bermuda, the 635.0nm Bermuda One-Two Race is one of the premiere shorthanded races in the USA. For the twenty-nine-boat fleet, the race started on June 8th at 11:00 AM in Narragansett Bay. The first leg is singlehanded out to Bermuda

Winning PHRF 1 Class was Josh Reisberg’s J/120 ABILYN in an elapsed time of 98:00 hours. Only the four Class 40s had quicker times and, at that, the winning Class 40 was just six hours ahead! An amazing accomplishment for Reisberg’s J/120. His performance amounted to a 6.5 kts average, including traversing adverse currents in the Gulf Stream on his way to the Bermuda finish line off St David’s Lighthouse on the northeastern end of the island.

On June 11th 0600 hrs, Reisberg suffered an electronics failure, commenting that “Autopilot computer down on Abilyn. Trying to figure out problem. Hove to. / Cannot repair pressing on for now. / Full electronics malfunction. Electricity is working. But no nav instruments. Can not identify issue. Boat can still be sailed...250 miles to Bermuda. / Update: have jury rig working on the autopilot. Bungees attached to spin sheets going through spin blocks to winches. Keeping sails full and me pointed to Bermuda.”

On June 12th at 0800 hrs, Reisberg sent a note to Race Command, “"I’m trying to chase these Class 40s down! About 35 miles to northeast breakers, then another 6 to the finish. Went through multiple sail changes this morning at around 0445 to keep the boat going fast in a light, clocking breeze. J3 to code zero to A3 to J3 to J1. Settled with the J1 (156%), which is keeping me going at around 8 knots VMG. Hope to see you folks in a few hours!"

On June 9th at 0130 hrs, about 12 hours into the race, sadly, David Southwell’s race-leading position on his J/121 ALCHEMY was cut short by a wayward steel fishing cable that literally ripped the rudder out of the boat. Thanks to the built-in safety of an offshore hatch and waterproof stern bulkhead, Southwell was able to enlist the help of a US Coast Guard dive team to cut the rudder free, implement his emergency rudder setup, and motor back home to Newport at a 5.2 kts average to get his boat repaired. Also, taking a DNF was Thomas Amory’s J/120 FLOW, mentioning to Race Command that he had too many things to sort out on the boat and decided to turn north and head back home to Maine.

The next portion of the race is the doublehanded leg back to Newport that starts on June 20th.  For more Bermuda One-Two Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Marion to Bermuda Race Preview

(Marion, MA)- The Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, are hosting the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. This will mark the 22nd running of the Race of the biennial event.

The 2017 race was a wonderful experience for all who participated. The fact that the America’s Cup competition coincided with the fleet’s arrival added to the excitement. However, even without the Cup, Bermuda is just a wonderful place to visit. The Dinghy Club is a welcoming facility. Their hospitality is legendary.

Back in 1977 when the first race was run, all navigation was celestial. Over the years, with the advent of GPS, the sextant has been put aside for the ease and accuracy of GPS.

The Marion Bermuda Race is now the only ocean race in North America that offers a celestial class for those skippers that want the challenge. To help stimulate participation in using celestial, in 2015 we increased the time adjustment from 2% to 3% over electronically navigated yachts.

Also, to encourage younger sailors to participate in an offshore race, the Race added a Youth Trophy to the 2015 event, with the goal of increasing the number of younger sailors in our sport. This is another first in offshore racing. If you can accommodate a minimum of four young sailors between the age of 16 and 23, you can qualify for this new trophy and give some young sailors and opportunity of a lifetime!

This year’s Founder’s Division has 39 entries.  Amongst those teams are the J/122 AUGUST WEST, skippered by Jamey Shachoy from Marion, MA and the J/46 MOJO sailed by Eric & Robert Grubman from Milford, CT.  For more Marion to Bermuda Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Bermuda One-Two Race Preview

(Newport, RI)- Hosted by Newport Yacht Club in Rhode Island and the St. George’s Dinghy & Boat Club in Bermuda, the 635.0nm Bermuda One-Two Race is one of the premiere shorthanded races in the USA. For the twenty-nine-boat fleet, the race starts on June 8th at 11:00 AM in Narragansett Bay. The first leg is singlehanded out to Bermuda, the second doublehanded leg back to Newport starts on June 20th.

Three J/Crews are participating in the event. There are two J/120s, Josh Reisberg’s ABILYN (with crew of Sam Cox) and Thomas Amory’s FLOW (with crew of Robert Patenaude). Also sailing is David Southwell’s J/121 ALCHEMY (with crew of Scott Meier).  Go to the website, track them, and cheer them on!  For more Bermuda One-Two Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

AIRFORCE Three-Peats J/105 Bermuda Challenge Cup

(Hamilton, Bermuda)- Every November, for three days, the Bacardi Keelboat Regatta is held in Bermuda. Racing is held primarily for one-design boats such as Etchells, J/105s, and International One Designs. The J/105 fleet is an invitational-only event, as they race with a combined Bermuda and International crew to compete for three awards- Bermuda and International Divisions and the Overall AXA XL International Challenge Cup series.

This year’s event ran from Thursday November 15 to Saturday, November 17 with a fabulous opening reception held at Bacardi World Headquarters in Hamilton on Wednesday November 14, 2018. Bacardi was once again the title sponsor with Bermuda Tourism Authority as a supporting sponsor.

A spokesperson from Bacardi stated: “Bacardi has always been a strong supporter of sports and in particular sailing, both in Bermuda and internationally, and is very pleased to once again support this event.  The international flavor of sailing competition and the natural camaraderie that goes with it resonates with Bacardi’s values. We wish all the competitors three days of great sailing in the pristine waters of Bermuda.”

In addition to Bacardi’s sponsorship, the J/105’s were competing for the AXA XL International Challenge Cup, a sponsorship supported by one of Bermuda’s largest re-insurance companies (their Managing Director is an active J/105 sailor in the local fleet).

The J/105 fleet fielded its usual strong contingent of competitors with international helmsmen and crew hailing from the US and the UK, paired with an equal compliment of local Bermuda sailors onboard each boat. Most have participated in the event several times over the years, annually yielding one of the strongest gatherings of amateur sailors in Bermuda.

The AIRFORCE Team were the local favorites, having won it twice before.  But, the racing again proved to be very tight. There were seven J/105s competing this year in a Bermuda Series where the Bermuda skipper drives, alternating races with the international skipper for the International Series, and combined results for the AXA XL Overall Trophy.

The first day of racing produced a gorgeous sunny day of 10-20 kts with four races counting, two for the Bermudian skippers and two for the International skippers. The second day was blown-out, with winds topping 40+ kts. Fortunately, the huge North Atlantic storm passed quickly, producing another day of 10-20 kts of breeze that permitted four more races to determine the winner of the AXA XL J/105 International Challenge Cup.

As anticipated, it was the team of Bermudian Peter Bromby and Peter Snelling on AIRFORCE that ultimately won the regatta.  However, it was a rocky road to the top of the leaderboard for the AIRFORCE crew.  After four races on day one, they were sitting in third place.  Then, on the closing day they had to contend with a DSQ in Race 6 that nearly torpedoed their chances for their three-peat win.

Leading after the first day of racing with a 1-2-3-2 were the duo of Bermudian Trevor Boyce and American Stew Neff sailing YABSTA.  While sailing fast and smart on the first day helped their performance, that was not to be repeated on the closing day. The YABSTA crew could not find good pace the last four races, closing with a 6-3-4-6 to miss the win by just 2 pts and settle for the silver.

American Mike Riley and Bermudian Ed Faries on BACK IN BLACK also experienced a roller-coaster scoreline.  Closing with a 1-2-1 tally on the last day to rocket up the leaderboard from mid-fleet, taking the tie-breaker at 28 pts each over MAYHEM (American Jason Owen and Bermudian Jon Corless). Rounding out the top five was the PASSION Team (Bermudian James MacDonald and Texan Bill Lakenmacher).

For the Bermuda Division, winning was Peter Bromby, followed by Jon Corless in second and James MacDonald in third.

In the International Division, winning was Mike Riley, with Stew Neff second and Bill Lakenmacher in third position.  For all scoring of the J/105 AXA XL International Challenge Cup   Follow the Bacardi Bermuda Keelboat Regatta on Facebook here  For more Royal Bermuda YC Bacardi Keelboat Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/121 APOLLO - Bermuda Race Winner Report

How the West Was Won- Point @ Bermuda!
(Hamilton, Bermuda)- Don Nicholson’s new J/121 APOLLO sailed its first major ocean race last week, the famous 635nm Newport to Bermuda Race.  Blessed with good fortune, solid navigation and well-executed strategy, they managed to win their Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division class and finish 6th overall.  An amazing performance considering the magnitude of variables and weather decisions necessary to stand atop the podium in the professional GHL Division.

From onboard APOLLO, we get the report from Kerry Klingler, the J/Boats Team Leader at Quantum Sails, on how they managed to get their first big offshore win.

“Great team, great boat, great sails combined for a super finish.  When racing programs emerge, it is rare that the individual elements align in a way that makes the whole program perform at a high level.  In this year’s Bermuda race, the APOLLO team realized this rare alignment.

The program started with Don Nicholson searching for a new boat for his racing program with the help of team organizer Denise Bienvenu and Annapolis yacht broker David Malkin. They narrowed their focused to the new J/121, liking the idea of a water-ballasted performance boat, with well laid-out sail handling features that could be distance-raced and be very competitive.

At that point, I became part of the program for Quantum Sails.  I looked at the proposed sail inventory set by J/Boats and made smart adjustments to suit our racing needs better.

The first adjustment was a twin-groove headstay, with full hoist sails that were battened.  It was my feeling that we needed a full complement of jibs, with a J1, J2, J3 set on the forestay, and a J4 set on the inner forestay.  These jibs were all designed with horizontal battens for maximum efficiency.  With twin grooves, we could change headsails and keep the boat moving at top performance.

For the spinnaker inventory, we sought to make the most out of the boat’s inherent performance capabilities.  With that in mind, we made the A2 larger than the proposed one-design size and added an A3.5 asymmetrical.  This sail was an in-between step, between the A2 and the Code 0.  It would double as heavy air runner, but would also be able to reach well.  Overall, the goal was to have a complete racing inventory, without having too many sails on board.

We entered the boat in the GHL pro division to be able to make the most out of Al Johnstone’s water-ballasted design.

In the last day and a half, the design made a huge difference in boat speed.  We were power-reaching at 8 to 10 knots. When racing J/122’s, we had never been able to hit that kind of speed.  Also, for most of the race, we had only four people on deck; the ballast made up the difference.

In addition, the inner forestay for the J4 Jib worked great.  We were able to slot the J4 under the Code 0 and add considerable additional speed to the boat.  For distance racing, this set up makes a lot of sense.

A lot of work goes into putting together a great well-meshed crew for a distance race like Newport to Bermuda.  Here are some of the keys to our success:

First, you have to handle the boat well, so the bow and sail handlers come into play.

Second, ideal trim is needed to keep the boat fast at all times. Everyone has to be vigilant, so that you’re trimmed fast all the time.

Third, you need good helms, people who can push the boat to its fullest potential.  The APOLLO team had that fine mesh of talent to make the most of the boat’s capabilities and the race’s challenges.  We formed two efficient watches that married the best of the talent.  The first watch consisted of Don Nicholson, Kerry Klingler, Mike Levy, and David Malkin.  The second watch consisted of Denise Bienvenu, Paul White, William Pritz, and Jack McGuire.

Fourth, you gotta have a good navigator that knows the weather, GRIB files, and routing software like Expedition.  To fill the role of navigator, we had Scott Adler.

Fifth, any distance race requires sound tactical & strategic decisions.  Most top programs knew the target for entering and exiting the Gulf Stream. The difference was what happened south of the stream.  For us, the idea was simple: keep the boat moving as fast as possible towards Bermuda.  Given how surprisingly big the wind shifts were, keeping the boat moving towards the goal was the best solution.  I remembered sailing with John Kolius.  He always sailed the boat as fast as possible, never put the boat hard on the wind, but speed was the key and let the wind do what it wants to do– there will always be future wind shifts!!  For the last two and a half days, that is exactly what we did.  We didn’t chase shifts or wind predictions, but sailed with what we had.  We pointed the boat as close as possible headed towards Bermuda; in other words, we took the closest tack or gybe to the mark!

In the end, the two watches did a great job.  Within the groups, we switched roles, having different people steering and trimming, who kept the crew fresh, and kept the boat moving.  The bond created working with such a fine group of sailors made the trip and the experience unforgettable.  It reminds me of why we do this unique and great sport!”  Thanks again for this contribution from APOLLO team member- Kerry Klingler.  For more J/121 Offshore speedster sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/121 APOLLO Wins Bermuda Race

1st Gibbs Hill Class, 6th Overall!  15 of 29 J’s Finish Top 5 in Class!
(Newport, RI)- The 51st running of the biennial offshore classic- the Newport to Bermuda Race was a relatively benign affair, with maximum winds barely pushing 15 kts and most of the time chasing zephyrs and wind-streaks across the Atlantic Ocean.  No speed records, for sure in the Maxi class. Famous bowman on George David’s R88 RAMBLER, Newport’s Jerry Kirby, was overhead saying on the bow as they approached Bermuda, “I’ve never done a race with George where we had no water over the bow! That’s crazy! What ‘thrash to the patch’? More like a mid-summer night’s cruise to paradise- Bermuda shorts, Gosling’s dark’n’stormies, and pink beaches here we come!”

And, with 75% of the fleet finishing between midnight Tuesday and Wednesday morning Bermuda time, it was more like a giant “raft-up in company” kind of race.  There were no outliers either east or west that did well.  Just about everyone could see each other the whole race and if you launched a drone up to 5,000 ft (easy to do), you would have captured half the fleet in one shot!

The action started at 1300 hrs EDT Friday, June 15 from Newport, Rhode Island, just beneath the famous Castle Hill Inn & Lighthouse at the port end of the starting line. It was not the “thrilla from Manila”, more like a slow and steady progression, trudging slowly through Chicago O’Hare’s security line, all heading somewhere along the 162-degree rhumbline to Bermuda.

The forecasts held true, the light northerly dying and the SSE winds building slowly from 4-6 kts at the start to SSW winds offshore overnight.  Thank goodness it was a strong ebb-tide at the first starting gun at 1305 hrs.  Had that not been the case, the start would’ve been chaotic.  As the final Maxi Class and Superyacht Class’s started, the fleet was well on its way to the Onion Patch with SSW winds of 7-12 kts.

The vast majority of the fleet endured a rather bizarre scenario offshore.  The big, fast boats basically rode the remnants of a micro-Low, then micro-High to whisk them along most downwind/ reaching to Bermuda; specifically, the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse division maxis- Rambler 88, the Maxi 72 Proteus, and the two Volvo 70s.  That group separated quickly into a separate system with a moderate northerly flow and rode it to Bermuda to make up the top five overall in the Gibbs Hill division. Behind them, the weather systems simply deteriorated into nothingness, with wind veering back into the northerly quadrants and dying, with numerous “park-ups” from east to west across the rhumbline for the main body of the fleet.  Ultimately, the forecasted southwesterlies and westerlies from an approaching front materialized and those that held to the west of rhumbline faired better than their colleagues off to the east.

Benefitting from that unfolding scenario was Don Nicholson’s J/121 APOLLO, finishing at twilight on Wednesday at 0322 hrs for a corrected time class win of 62:21:35 hrs (elapsed of 108:12:52) in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division Class 14.  Taking third in class the Leonid Vasiliev’s custom J/120 DESPERADO correcting out just 30 minutes back. As a result, overall under ORR Handicap, the J/121 APOLLO was 6th corrected time behind the obvious winners in the “breakaway” group in front of the fleet- the two Volvo 70s, Maxi 72, Rambler 88, and a TP52.  Fast company, indeed!  A great debut offshore for the APOLLO team!

Similarly, the two J/121’s sailing in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division Class 9 (Joe Brito’s INCOGNITO & David Southwell’s ALCHEMY) sailed fast, but ultimately made a fateful decision around 1400 hrs Monday afternoon, gybing east nearly tangential to rhumbline to head further east.  It was a move that would seal their fate after leading for much of the race.  They were caught a bit too far to the east as the forecasted SW to W winds filled in.  As a result, despite alternating provisional leadership of their class halfway through the race, both boats ended up finishing nearly at the same time as their sistership APOLLO.  Joe Brito’s INCOGNITO finished at 0246 hrs Wednesday to take 4th in class, and David Southwell’s ALCHEMY finished at 0336 hrs to take 5th.

In the St David’s Lighthouse Division Class 6, Andrew Hall’s J/121 JACKHAMMER suffered a similar fate as INCOGNITO and ALCHEMY, getting just a bit too far to the east Monday afternoon as the southwest/west winds started to drift across the race course and power everyone in the big pack on starboard tack towards Bermuda on fast-reaching angles. As a result, they took the bronze in their class, missing the class win by just over 40 minutes- easily the distance they gave up going too far east.

In the Double-handed Division Class 3, Steve Berlack’s J/42 ARROWHEAD sailed a strong race, working their way to the west of rhumbline at the appropriate time on Monday afternoon and reaped the benefits to take the bronze!  Taking 5th place was Gardner Grant’s J/120 ALIBI.

In the SDL Class 5, Fred Allardyce’s J/40 MISTY managed a 3rd, while Eliot Merrill’s J/42 FINESSE placed 5th.

What was tantamount to being the sole “J/Boats” division was SDL Class 7- six J/120s and four J/122s in a class of fourteen boats!  The very experienced J/120 teams (many whom have multiple Bermuda Races to their credit) swept the first four spots; leading was Rick Oricchio’s ROCKET SCIENCE, 2nd Richard Born’s WINDBORN, 3rd, John Harvey & Rick Titsworth’s SLEEPING TIGER, and 4th Brian Spears’ MADISON.  All went west of rhumbline at the critical juncture of 1600 hrs on Monday afternoon heading for the southwesterlies.  The first J/120 beat the first J/122 into the island finish line by over one hour.

With a number of Bermuda veterans, it was going to be interesting to see how the SDL Class 8 would unfold.  In the end, it was Mike McIvor’s J/133 MATADOR that salvaged (believe it or not) a third place on the podium after leading boat-for-boat of all J’s for the first 2/3 of the race.  Yes, it was the same SW/W gradient that nearly did them in too by getting a bit too far east.  Taking fifth was Len Sitar’s J/44 VAMP and sixth was Chris Lewis’ KENAI.

In the Finisterre Division (cruising class) Class 13, Howie Hodgson’s J/160 BLUE took fifth place.

In the final analysis, perhaps the most shocking statistic is that out of the 29 J’s racing Bermuda, fully half of them managed a top five finish in class! As for podium finishes, two Golds, one Silver, five Bronzes for a total of eight medals- nearly 1/3 of all J/teams entered podiumed.  Pretty good odds/bets in the greater scheme of things!  As J/sailors have learned/ discovered over time, a well-balanced boat that can sail in all-around conditions ultimately prevails, and often wins!

Sailor Girl- Nic Douglass- interview with Brad Willauer- Commodore of the CCA and owner of the J/46 BREEZIN UP   For more Newport to Bermuda Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J’s Cruise Annapolis to Bermuda Race

(Hamilton, Bermuda)- The biennial Annapolis to Bermuda Ocean Race took place over the past week with J/crews collecting a few more pickle-dishes for their trophy rooms.  Hosted by the Eastport YC and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda, the 753nm race is the longest ocean race on the east coast of the U.S.A., delivering a unique combination of inshore and offshore racing through its route down the Chesapeake Bay (starting in Annapolis, MD), across the Gulf Stream, and onto Bermuda.

Winning CRCA ORR handicap division was Bob Dunigan’s J/124 JANE SAYS.  Then, it a truly heart-warming story, it was Oklahoma native Lynn McClaskey’s J/110 CIMARRON that took the silver in PHRF 2 Class.

Here is Lynn’s amazing story about how she fell in love with sailing while growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, thousands of miles away from either the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.

“We have a lot of lakes in Oklahoma and they’re all dammed for power supply and agriculture,” McClaskey said. “Considering the way the wind comes whipping down from the plains, sailing really is a natural pursuit.”

McClaskey was a longtime member of the Windycrest Sailing Club and initially raced a Thistle with her family. She got into junior sailing and became quite proficient at racing a Sunfish, Laser and 470 on Keystone Lake.

McClaskey moved east for work purposes as she’s an analyst with the United States Department of Defense. She has lived in Crofton (MD) for 20 years and got involved with big boat racing out of Annapolis, crewing for various skippers in the J/30 class.

In 2012, McClaskey competed in the Annapolis to Bermuda Race aboard a C&C 38 named Dare Greatly, which was owned by Joe Donahue. Her first thought upon completing the challenge?

“Hey, I could do that!” McClaskey said to herself.

So McClaskey bought a J/110 the following year and began the long process of preparing herself and the boat for ocean racing. She previously owned a C&C 27 that was equipped with “lifeline netting and car seats” as she cruised with two young children.

“I’ve been working on the boat ever since I got it in 2013,” McClaskey said, who served as a safety inspector for the 2014 Annapolis to Bermuda Race in order to gain an even better understanding of what is required of a skipper. “I didn’t want to go offshore until I was absolutely certain it was completely ship-shape.”

She entered the biennial race two years later with CIMARRON, which is named after one of the rivers that flows into Keystone Lake in Oklahoma, placing second in PHRF Spinnaker 2. The J/110 was the first boat in its class to exit the Chesapeake Bay, but could not maintain that pace during the ocean crossing and wound up being overtaken by the J/42 Schematic (Robert Fox from Arlington, Virginia).

“It wasn’t quite the result I wanted,” McClaskey said. “That was my first big offshore passage and there were many, many lessons learned. I think the most important lesson is that a lot of the race is won or lost before you leave the dock in terms of preparing the boat and developing a plan.”

McClaskey subscribes to the theory that one has not truly lost until they quit trying. So, she is doing Annapolis to Bermuda again this year with the intent of capturing class honors and finishing further up within the overall fleet.

This time around, CIMARRON has been slotted into PHRF II, which has attracted 10 entries that are all different designs. Among the competition is a J/42, Frers 41, Outbound 44, C&C 37 and Sabre 38.

“We have been working ever since the last Annapolis to Bermuda to prepare for this year’s race,” said McClaskey, one of only two female skippers entered. “It’s a big organizational challenge to get all the training, equipment and skills you need. A key element is building a crew that you trust, and that is something that has happened over time by doing more and more sailing.”

McClaskey appreciates that everyone has pitched in to help prepare the J/110. “Any offshore boat is going to have a long list. Those big jobs are getting smaller and smaller, as we speak. We have a great mixture of skills and have trained for every situation– man overboard, firefighting, losing rudder, and losing rig. We’ve rehearsed it all.”  Thanks for contribution from Bill Wagner-  The Baltimore Sun.  For more Annapolis to Bermuda Ocean Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Newport to Bermuda Race Preview

(Newport, RI)- This year’s Newport Bermuda Race is the 51st running of the biennial offshore race.  The action starts at 1300 hrs EDT Friday, June 15 from Newport, Rhode Island, just beneath the famous Castle Hill Inn & Lighthouse at the port end of the starting line. Beginning in 1906, it is the oldest regularly scheduled ocean race, and one of very few international distance races.

The purpose of the Bermuda Race was stated in 1923 by Cruising Club of America Commodore Herbert L. Stone: “In order to encourage the designing, building, and sailing of small seaworthy yachts, to make popular cruising upon deep water, and to develop in the amateur sailor a love of true seamanship, and to give opportunity to become proficient in the art of navigation”.

This year’s event is expected to be the fourth largest in the race’s history, with approximately 170 boats. The race attracts sailors from across North America and the globe; the fleet is extremely diverse, a total of 23 countries are represented in the crews.

Depending on the weather and the currents in the Gulf Stream, and the boat’s size and speed, the race takes two to six days. The first boat arrives at the finish line off St. David’s Lighthouse on Sunday or Monday, and the smaller boats arrive between then and Wednesday or Thursday.

The race is demanding. The rules say, “The Newport Bermuda Race is not a race for novices!” The course crosses the rough Gulf Stream and is mostly out of the range of rescue helicopters, and Bermuda is guarded by a dangerous reef. The race is nicknamed “the thrash to the Onion Patch” because most Bermuda Races include high winds and big waves (a combination sailors call “a hard thrash”), and because Bermuda is an agricultural island (notably in its old days for onions!).

The race demands good seamanship, great care, and a boat that is both well-built and properly equipped. The boats must meet stringent equipment requirements and undergo inspection, and the sailors must also pass a review and undergo training in safety. The bonds formed by these sailors are strong. Numerous sailors have sailed more than 10 races, often with family and friends.

It is no wonder that over the past 30+ years that more and more Bermuda racers have put their faith and trust in high-quality, offshore performance sailboats produced by the J/Design team that are easy to sail in any weather conditions- from sybaritic to stormy as hell.  In virtually every major offshore race around the world, J/Teams have prevailed in some of the nastiest conditions imaginable, and sailed home safely to win class or overall trophies.  And, remarkably, many of them have repeated those winning performances over the course of time on their J/Boats.

In this year’s 51st Bermuda Race, there are 29 J/crews ready to take on the challenges of the Gulf Stream meanders and rocky approaches to Bermuda.  Not for the faint of heart, but the famous reception for all the crews at Royal Bermuda YC is well worth it!

ST DAVIDS LIGHTHOUSE DIVISION- only Class I helmsmen
In by far the largest division of the race, the St David’s Lighthouse Division, there are 109 entries of which 26 are J/Boats- nearly one-quarter of the entire field and easily the largest brand represented by a factor of 2.5!

SDL Class 5 includes two J/42s (Roger Gatewood’s SHAZAAM & Eliot Merrill’s FINESSE), Bill Passano’s J/37 CARINA, and Fred Allardyce’s J/40 MISTY.

The sole J/crew in SDL Class 6 is the brand new J/121 JACKHAMMER sailed by the United Kingdom’s Andrew Hall.  See the “Bermuda Spotlight” on Andrew’s program below.

The fourteen-boat SDL Class 7 might as well have been labeled the Fast 40’s J/Boat Division.  Four J/122s are sailing, including the 2016 Annapolis Newport winner- Paul Milo’s ORION. Other 122s include Dan Heun’s MOXIEE, Chris Stanmore-Major’s SUMMER GRACE, and Dave Cielusniak’s J-CURVE.  In addition, there are five J/120s, including past Bermuda winner- Richard Born’s WINDBORN. Other 120s include John Harvey & Rick Titsworth’s SLEEPING TIGER, Stu McCrea’s DEVIATION, Rick Oricchio’s ROCKET SCIENCE, Bob Manchester’s VAMOOSE and Brian Spears’ MADISON.

SDL Class 8 has Dale & Mike McIvor’s J/133 MATADOR and twin J/44s only this year (Chris Lewis’ KENAI & Len Sitar’s VAMP).

SDL Class 9 has two of the new J/121 offshore speedsters- Joe & Mike Brito’s INCOGNITO and David Southwell’s ALCHEMY.  In addition, there will be Brian Prinz’s offshore machine, the J/125 SPECTRE and Jon Burt’s J/130 LOLA.

FINISTERRE DIVISION- the “cruising division”- only one main, one jib, one spinnaker fixed on centerline permitted and only Class I helmsmen.

Sailing in the Finisterre Class 12 division is Joe Murli’s J/44 SIRENA BELLA and Charles Willauer and family on board their J/46 BREEZING UP. Class 13 division has Howie Hodgson’s lovely J/160 TRUE.

GIBBS HILL DIVISION- water ballast, canting keels permitted, helmsmen either Class I or III.
In the Gibbs Hill Class 14 division is Leonid Vasiliev’s J/120 DESPERADO and another new J/121- Don Nicholson’s APOLLO.

DOUBLEHANDED DIVISION
Finally, sailing in the Doublehanded Class 3 division will be Gardner Grant’s Bermuda Race-winning J/120 ALIBI and Steve Berlack’s J/42 ARROWHEAD (another past Bermuda Race winner).

Newport Bermuda Spotlight
Andrew Hall’s hot new J/121 JACKHAMMER has been preparing the entire spring for the NBR.  Chris Museler, New York Times sailing columnist, had a chance to catch up to him recently.  Here is that interview:

It seems odd that Andrew Hall decided not to install the water-ballast tanks offered in his brand new J/121 JACKHAMMER. This turbo-boost feature will be used by two of the four 121’s competing in this year’s Newport Bermuda Race. They are the latest offshore 40 footers, with furling, carbon reaching sails, plumb bows and a sleek cabin that mimics today’s high performance Superyacht.

JACKHAMMER will join ALCHEMY (also not using water ballast), in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division, while the other two J/121s, APOLLO and INCOGNITO, will be racing in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division where water ballast is allowed, along with canting keel boats and no limits on professional crews.

“It’s mainly because we’re penalized under the handicap so much for the water ballast,” explains Hall, who has been training with his mostly British crew throughout April out of his summer home in Jamestown, Rhode Island. “We also couldn’t race in the amateur division with ballast. And without the tanks, it makes the boat more roomy down below, and can sleep more people.”

The sail profiles between all the J/121s are identical, says Hall, who has sailed four Bermuda Races, some on his last boat, the J/133 JACKKNIFE. He races a J/125 in the RORC summer offshore series in the UK and he’s looking forward to testing out the new boat on an ocean course.

“The J/125 goes like a bat out of hell, but has a poor handicap,” says Hall. “Hopefully the 121 will be competitive and a lot more comfortable. The 125 is decidedly not comfortable and decidedly wet.”

The water-ballasted J/121s rate faster than JACKHAMMER, and though the ballast adds righting moment and power, there are times when it’s not needed. Hall says that he hasn’t lined up against another 121 to discover if, under handicap, one will win over the other. He does say there are benefits to using water ballast besides strict performance.

“They’re [ballast tanks] there for sailing with less people,” says Hall. “That’s quite nice, particularly for sailing doublehanded.”

The J/121 has a sailplan well-suited to close reaching angles, often a Newport Bermuda Race point of sail.

Hall, a Brit, will be sailing with his son and a mixture of Americans and fellow countrymen. The crew was bending on storm sails in the sub-freezing mornings of April, with numb fingers pushing dog bones through the loops of the storm jib’s soft hanks. JACKHAMMER was soon seen ripping across Narragansett Bay in fresh northwesterlies testing sail combinations and tweaking electronics.

Though the Bermuda Race will be a great test of this new, high performance design, Hall and his crew consider it just a stop on a regular calendar of fantastic ocean races.

After Bermuda, JACKHAMMER will be shipped to Italy and then brought down to Malta for the Middle Sea Race. In 2019, it’s the RORC offshore series and, possibly, the Fastnet Race. Then another crack at Bermuda in 2020.

“I look forward to this race,” says Hall. “We will have covered a few miles by the time we get back here in two year’s time.”  Thanks for this contribution from New York Times reporter- Chris Museler.  For more Newport to Bermuda Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Blessings to Jim Bishop- J/44 GOLD DIGGER

(Jamestown, RI)- Jim Bishop, owner of the famous, Caribbean-green J/44 GOLD DIGGER passed away this week. The Commodore of American Yacht Club, home for Jim’s fleet of boats, offered their condolences to the Bishop family and friends:

“It is with deep sadness that I inform you Jim Bishop Sr. passed away peacefully with his family at his side Thursday, May 24th. Racing his IOD “Makai,” his J/44 “Gold Digger,” and spending time with family and friends on the “Coastal Queen” out of American YC were some of the things he cherished most. Even during his last weeks, he was looking forward to this summer’s racing, and God Willing- the Bermuda Race on his lovingly maintained J/44 GOLD DIGGER. We will all remember him for his generous spirit, perpetual storytelling and that twinkle in his eye.”

Jim was a big fan of the J/Boats team, having worked with Bob Johnstone, in particular, on creating, fostering, and supporting the J/44 One-Design Class; it was modeled on the same principals as the International One-Design class, another fleet that he enjoyed sailing since his youth.  The concept met with great success and the multitude of J/44 owners and the J/Boats team will greatly miss Jim’s enthusiasm and support of the J/44 class.  May his spirit live on sailing the great Gold Digger in the sky. Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Successful Spring Tune-Up for J/121 Speedsters!

Bromby/Murphy Three-peat Bermuda J/105 Regatta

(Hamilton, Bermuda)- The Royal Bermuda YC and the sponsor/partner Bacardi host their annual Bacardi Bermuda Keelboat Invitational every year just prior to Thanksgiving weekend.  For three days, one-design fleets of J/105s, IOD’s and Etchells 22s are treated to spectacular sailing on the Great Sound, the recent site of the America’s Cup.

For the J/105 fleet, the format is designed to be fun and inclusive of J/105 sailors around the world.  The local fleet provides their boats and three crew and invite three “international” sailors (e.g. non-Bermudian) to race with them.  In the past, the international crews have come from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and the Caribbean.  The racing format is all short-course W-4’s, the Bermudians race against each on odd-numbered races, the International skippers on even-numbered races.

For the first time in the event’s history, one team has posted a “three-peat” performance.  The local hero and Star World Champion Peter Bromby from Warwick, Bermuda partnered with Kevin Murphy from the USA to dominate this year’s series with three bullets and two deuces in their six-race tally to win with just 12 pts.

While the Bromby/Murphy team may have sailed away with the event, it was nothing like that taking place for the balance of the podium.  After six races, three boats finished 3 pts apart.  A 5th in their last race nearly “snatched victory from the jaws of defeat” for the trio of Trevor Boyce/ Mike Neff from Bermuda and Stew Neff from Marblehead, MA, USA.  Onboard their team was the third Neff, brother Terry from Wisconsin.  While posting top three finishes in 3 races, a last in race #2 and a 5th in the last race gave the trio 20 pts, just enough to hang on for the silver. Hot on their heels with a nearly identical scoreline was the duo of James Macdonald from Smiths, Bermuda and Bill Lackenmacher from Seabrook, Texas in the USA.  Their last two races were a mirror of the Boyce/ Neff record of 2-5, posting a 5-2 to finish with 21 pts to close out the podium.  Dropping out of contention completely for silverware was Keith Chiappa’s team on BER 535, a last place on the last race torpedoed all hopes of a top three finish.
Bacardi Bermuda J/105 Invitational sailing video- leeward gate roundings   Follow the J/105 Bermuda keelboat event here on Facebook   For more Bacardi Bermuda J/105 Invitational sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.